Coloring photographic images.



W. V.D. KELLEY.

COLORING PHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGES. APPLICATION FILED JULY 26. 1917.

1,25%41 L Patented Mar. 12, 191&

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WILLIAM V. D. KELLEY, 0F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T0 PRIZMA, INCORPO- RATED, A CORPORATION OF VIRGINIA.

COLORING PHOTOGRAIPHIC IMAGES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Ma; as, rare.

Application filed July 26, 1917. Serial No. 182,858.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM V. D. KELLEY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coloring Photographic Images, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to colored photographic images, and has particular reference to a process for producing double colored images on double coated base, together with the product. The invention is applicable to the production of single transparencies, but is especially intended for obtaining motion picture film for projection in color.

The object of the invention is to provide a complete process for producing a double colored double projecting positive from a negative strip containing color value records in recurring cycles, without permitting defective registration, and without employing temporary intermediate steps during the coloring process.

If a double coated positive is printed first on one side with a color value image belonging to one color family, and then on the other side with another color value image from a complementary color family, the results in projection are unsatisfactory unless the images are accurately registered before and during printing, even when accurately -colored. because a' very slight displacement of one image affects the entire result, and becomes very apparent when enlarged on the curtain. If one print is developed and colored before the other is printed, developed and colored. it is impossible to obtain absolute registration of the second print, because the baths used in finishing the first cause celluloid lilm to shrink, so that the list print becomes smaller than the second. This is true, whether the second print is made in the same sensitive emulsion as the first. or in an emulsion applied after the first print has been partly or wholly colored. Efforts have been made to rint two images 01. double coated positive simultaneously by a light on each side of the positive, which requires an extra negative or negatives to he made for printing and careful adjustment of lights. This procedure also involves registration difficulties. Sometimes an opaque one side from being fog'ged by the other, is employed where the prints are made after one another, but such coatings or colorings usually have to be removed before the posi tive is finished. Furthermore, in coloring, a dark room process is undesirable, because it does not facilitate accurate work, and a daylight .procem which requires the applica tion or removal of temporary coatings or baths, or the use of intermediate prints, introduces additional complications and expense.

By this invention the final prints are successively made with a single light directly from the original negatives in accurateregistration on the positive, first on one side of the positive and then on the other side in exact registration after reversing both positive and negative, then developed and fixed, then one print is colored and covered with a final protective coating, and finally the remaining print is colored.

The coloring is done with dyes in day light, and an especially advantageous feature of the invention is that the colors are applied by immersion in tanks, permitting complete control by the operator, with a minimum amount of handlingof the fiim itself. The invention is particularly useful in producing long lengths of film for projection in natural color on ordinary projectors.

The accompanying drawing illustrates various features of the invention, and preferred appliances employed.

Figure 1, shows a two color value negative Fig. 2, shows a four color value negative, Fig. 3, shows one negative of Fig. 1 in registered printing position with one side of Fig. 7 shows the finished four color projecting positive,

Fig. 8 shows a suitable form offilm carrying frame used in the tank operations, and

Fig. 9,shows a form of mounting for the registering pins shown in Fig. 3.

In a two color process, recurring cycles of with emulsion to emulsion, a certain perfonegative color value records of the red family R O and the green family G B shown in Fig. 1 are alternately recorded on panchromatic emulsion 1 carried by transparent base 2, Fig. 4:. .In a suitable printing machine, transparent base 3 carrying a relatively slow emulsion on each side, as 4, 5, is first registered and printed on one side as 4, with all of the red value negatives, R O, as in Fig. 3, then the positive base and the negative are reversed, and 'all of the remaining green value negatives, G B, are printed on the other side, by the same light, after having been accurately registered with the first print. Both printings' are by contact, see Figs. 4 and 5, and made with a strong light and short exposure so that one coating or image is not fogged by printing the other.

It is of particular importance that accurate registration be had, and this is accomplished in the following manner. In printing the first negative, having for example four standard perforations on each side,

ration in the. negative, as 6, is reg stered in one direction only with a perforation, as 7 in the double coated positive base 3 by a registering pin 8 passing through both positive and negative at one side of the printing window 9. This pin 8 may for example effect vertical registration only by being so shaped as to fill the perforations in both films from top to bottom, but not from side to side, as seen in Fig. 3. At the same time, another pin, as 10 on the other side of the printing window, and shaped to completely fill the perforations 11 in the negative, and 12 in the positive passes through both positive and negative and efiects horizontal registration. These pins act together, but register independently. As soon as registered, the films are clamped in printing contact by a reciprocatory clamp 13, and printed, emulsion to emulsion. The clamp also carries the registering pins 8,10, and is reciprocated by any suitable means. Feeding of the films is controlled so that all of the red value images R O on the negative will be registered and printed in succession on the first positive emulsion, and all of the green value images G B on the second positive emulsion. With a two color process, the negative feeds two images for each positive image. In printing the other side of the positive in the preferred manner by the same light, both' the positive and negative are reversed, bringing the negative base 2 to second positive emul sion 5, as shown in Fig. 5. The pins 8, 10, are also reversed, so that the holes 7 and 12 in the positive retain the same relation with the pins 8, 12, as before, but now register the holes 15, 16 of the green value images G B with the positive holes 7, 12, respectively. After the strips are registered and clamped, the exposure is made by light through window 9, either by a hand or power driven shutter moving in front of a suitable light. The positive stripis then developed, fixed, and washed on both sides at once, and now contains color values of one family all on one side, and color values of another family all on the other side, but each registered horizontally with one certain perforation in the positive, and independently registered Vertically with another certain perforation therein. The coloring can now be applied.

Fig. 2 shows an example of a four' color process negative having a red color value image R, a green color value image G, a yellow color value image Y, and a blue color value image B, the images R and Y, being of the red family,-and the images G and B of the blue family, and together rendering complete color. In printing from such a negative having these images in recurring -plete color. Each two positive areas do,

however, contain complete color values, and when the opposite sides are colored in complementary colors and projected'in succession, complete color is rendered on the curtain upon the principle of additive lights. Both sides of the positive are developed, fixed, and washed, together, and are now ready for coloring, it being seen that the images are of the same size, and in absolute register.

The additive principle can also be carried out with four colors, such as red, green, magenta, and blue green negative records, so printed on the positive as to superpose red and green value images on one positive area, and magenta and blue green value images on the next area, which when properly dyed, give complete color in,each two areas in projection. In case of a single transparency made of two images, one image is then colored, or all like family images on one side in case of a long strip, are colored. This may be done by passing the strip horizontally over a bleaching spray which is so controlled as to only attack the images on one side of the double coated strip. If the images are formed of silver bromid, they may be bleached by being converted to silver iodid by a spray bath containing iodin, potassium iodid, and distilled water. The whites may be cleared by passing over a second spray of sodium bisulfite, and then the whole film is washed and coiled on a frame such as shown in Fig. 8, for subsequent handling. The silver on one side is now transparent and mordanted ready to receive the dye. The frame is of flat, rectangular form having bars which support the coils at the edges.

After being coiled on the frame and while still wet from the last washing, the whole strip is immersed in a dye bath of color complementary to the color values on the treated side. The latter side only takes and permanently sets the dye in those portions containing converted silver deposit, while the untreated side will not fix the dye. This is done in daylight. The strip is now washed and dried, the dye having washed out of the untreated side and only remaining precipitated in the converted silver on the treated side; The colored side is then coated with a celluloid varnish final coating, which not only protects the color during subsequent treatment of the other side, but protects the strip in use and enables the operator to readily tell the front from the back when projecting. This drying affects both images equally so that any shrinkage of the material does not affect registration.

The remaining side is now colored by repeating the process in ordinary tank opera tions, including converting the remaining opaque silver deposit to mordanted deposit capable of taking the other dye color. This dye is then applied by immersion, and washed as before described. The strip can now be removed from the frame and when dried is ready for use in anordinary projector. With the strip once on the frame, all subsequent operations can be by immersion in tanks, which is a decided advantage, not only in eliminating useless steps, but in preventing damage to the strip, and permitting inspection at all times in daylight. The frame used ordinarily holds about 200 feet or more of film with the edges only in contact, so that full access of the baths is had to each side. The dyes used may be basic or acid, or a combination of both, depending upon the particular process followed in applying'the color.

Various methods of coloring are known besides the examples given herein, and I do not restrict myself to any particular process of applying the color. Instead of employing transparent silver deposit to take the dye, silver bromid can be bleached, then mordanted to take the dye, and then the silver dissolved out, leaving pure color in the film. Also, a silver bromid image, such as one printed from the green value negative, can be bleached by a vanadium ehlorid bath to a yellowish color and then fixed, and then immersed in a red dye, such as rhodamin, to give a good red in the finished print. The green dyes are well known, such as malachite green, and do not need detailed description.

By the two color process herein described,

a strip film is produced having the registered red values on one side dyed green, and the registered green values on the other side dyed complementary red, and each area gi\' ing substantially complete color rendering. By the four color process herein described, the registered red and registered yellow values on adjoining positive areas, are colored green, and the registered green and registered blue values on the other side are colored complementary red, each coloring being by a single dye, and each two positive areas rendering complete color in projection. This latter process has an especial advantage not only in more complete color rendering, but enables balancing to be con trolled, because by variation of the printing exposure the red family colors can be favored in one cycle, and the green family colors in another set, but giving the proper balance when projected.

The process of this invention therefore furnishes a simple and direct daylight proc ess, in which the prints are made by contact before any chemical treatments, and then simultaneously developed, Without requiring temporary treatments or coatings, and enabling all operations after bleaching the first image to be rapidly done by immersion in tanks with the strip on a frame.

The terms used herein such as first and second, positive and negative, are used in the relative sense and not as limitations, and it will be understood that colors or color values may belong to complementary color families without being themselves complementary.

What is claimed, is:

1. The method of producing a double colored photographic transparency which consists in printing images in registry on opposite sides of a double sensitized transparent base, developing and fixing said images, treating one of said images to render it capable of absorbing dye and transmitting light, dyeing said image, washing and drying the entire base, applying a protective coating to the dyed side, treating the other image to render it dye absorbent and capable of trans mitting light, dyeingwith a second color, and washing and drying to complete the transparency.

2. The method of producing a double colored photographic transparency which consists in printing image in registry on opposite sides of a double sensitized transparent base, simultaneously developing and fixing said images, spraying one of said images with a solution to render it capable of absorbing dye and transmitting light, immersing the base in a dye bath to color thetreated image, washing and drying the base, applying a protective coating to the dyed side, treating the'other image to render it dye absorbent and capable of transmitting light,

dyeing said latter image with a second color, by immersion, and Washing and drying to complete the transparency. r

3. The method of producing a double colored photographic strip film, which consists in printing images in registry on opposite sides of double sensitized transparent film, developing and firing said images, treating one side of said film to render the images thereon capable of absorbing dye and trans mitting light, immersing the film in a dye bath to color the treated side, washing and drying, applying a protective coating to the dyed side, treating the other side to render the images thereon capable of absorbing dye and transmitting light, immersing the entire film in a second dye bath to differently color the images on the lasttreated side, and washing and drying to complete the film.

4. The method of producing a double colored photographic strip film, which consists in printing images in registry on opposite sides of double sensitized transparent film, developing and fixing said images, treating one side of said film to render the images thereon capable of absorbing dye and transmitting light, coiling the film on a frame, immersing the film in a dye bath to color the treated side, washing and drying, applying a protective coating to the dyed side, treating the other side to render the images thereon capable of absorbing dye and transmitting light, immersing the entire film in a second dye bath to difi'erently color the images on the last treated side, and washing and drying to complete the film.

5. The method of producing a doublecolored photographic strip film, which consists in printing on one side of a double sensitized transparent film images containing color values of one color family, printing in registry on the opposite side images containing color values of a complementary color family, developing and fixing said images, treating one side of said film to render all the images thereon capable of absorbing dye and transmitting light, immersing the film in a dye bath to impart to the images on the treated side a color complementary to the family color recorded thereby, washing and drying, applying a protective coating to the dyed side, treating the other side to render all the images thereon capable of absorbing dye and transmitting light, immersing the film in a dye bath to impart to the latter images a color complementary to the family color recorded thereby, and washing and drying to complete the film.

6. .The method of producing a double colored photographic strip film, which consists in recording the two families of color in cycles of four color yalues, printing all of one family of color value records upon one side of double sensitized film in recurring sets, printing all of the other family of color value records upon the other side of said film in recurring sets registered with said first prints, developing said images, treating one side of said film to render all the images thereon ca able of absorbing dye and transmitting light, immersing the film in a dye bath to impart to the images on the treated side a color complementary to the family color recorded thereby, Washing and drying, applying a protective coating to the dyed side, treating the other side to render all the images thereon capable of absorbing dye and transmitting light, immersing the film in a dye bath to impart to the latter images a color complementary to the family color recorded thereby, and washing and drying to complete the film.

7 The method of producing a double colored photographic transparency carrying the colors in coatings on opposite sides, which consists in printing in registry in said coatings images containing different color values, developing said images, coloring one of said images with a color having a predetermined relation to the color recorded thereby, applying a protective coating thereto, and coloring the other image with a color complementary to said first color.

8. The method of producing a double colored photographic transparency carrying the colors in coatings on opposite sides, which consists in printing in registry in said coatings images containing difl'erent color values, developing said images, mordanting and converting one of said images to render it capable of taking a dye and transmitting light, immersing the film in a dye bath of a color complementary to the color recorded by said mordanted image, washing and drying, applying a protective coating thereto, mordanting and converting the second image to render it capable of taking a dye and transmitting light, immersing the film in a dye bath of a color complementary to the first dye bath, and completing the film.

9. The method of producing a double colored photographic transparency carrying the colors in coatings on opposite SldGS,

which consists in registering an image carrying negative having edge perforations in a printing position determined by predetermined perforations in a double sensitized positive film, printing on said positive, registering a second image. carrymg negative having like perforations with the same perforations in said positive film on the opposite side of said film and making the second print, developing said images, coloring one side of said film, drying and applying a protective coating to the colored side, and finally coloring the remaining image on said positive.

10. The method of producing a double colored strip transparency which consists in registering the perforations of a color value negativestrip and a double coated sensitive strip independently horizontally and vertically with the sensitive strip as the standard, printing like color family lmages in succession on said strip, registering color value images of a complementary color family on the remaining sensitive side of said strip with like relation to the sensitive strip as the standard, printing said'second images, developing and fixing said images, coloring the images on one side in one color, covering said colored images with a protective coating, removing the color from the uncovered images, and coloring said images with a color of different color family.

11. The method of producing a double colored photographic strip transparency carrying the colors incoatings on opposite sides, which consists in printing in succession on one side of said strip different color value records of one color family and in registry on the other side different color value records of a complementary color family so as to have on each two areas of said strip a combined record of complete color on the additive principle, developing said images, coloring all of the like color family images on one side with a color having a predetermined relation to such color family, applying a protective coating thereto, and coloring the images on the other side of the strip with a color complementary to said first color.

12. The method of producing a double colored transparency which consists in registering the perforations of a color value image and a double coated sensitivestrlp indenpendently horizontally and vertically with the sensitive strip as the standard, printing said image on said stri registering a similar color value image 0 a comple mentary color family on the remainin sensitive side of said strip with like relatlon to the sensitive strip as the standard, printing said second image, developing and fixing said images, coloring one of said images with a color complementary to its color family, and coloring the other image with a color complementary to its color family.

13. The method of producing a double colored transparency which consists in registering the perforations of a color value image and a double coated sensitive strip independently horizontally and vertically with the sensitive strip as the standard, printing said image on said strip, registering a similar color value image of a complementary color family on the remainin sensitive side of said strip with like relatlon to the sensitive strip as the standard, printing said second image, developing and fixing said images, coloring one of said images with a color complementary to its color family, applying a protective coating to the colored side, and coloring the other image with a color'complementary to its polor family.

14. The method of producing a double colored transparency which consists in registering the perforations of a .-'color value image and a double coated sensitive strip independently horizontally and vertically with the sensitive strip as the standard, printing said image on said strip, registering a similar color value image of a complementary color family on the remainin sensitive side of said strip with like relation to the sensitive strip as the standard, printing said second image, developing and fixing said images, rendering one of said images capable of absorbing dye and transmitting light, applying a dye thereto of color complementary to the color family of the treated image, and similarly treating the remaining image without decoloring the first image to impart to the remainin image a color complementary to its color amily.

15. The method of producing a double colored transparency carrying the colors in coatings on opposite sides, which consists in registering the perforations of a color value image and a double coated sensitive strip independently horizontally and vertically with the sensitive strip as the standard, printing said image on said strip, registering a complementary color value image on the remaining side of said strip with like relation to the sensitive strip as the standard, printin'g said second image, developing and fixing said images, coloring one image with a color complementary to the values recorded thereby, and coloring the second image without 'decoloring the first image with a color complementary to said first color and to the values recorded by said second image.

16. A double coated perforated transparency comprising a plurality of image areas,

those on one slde having successively different color value images of one family and those on the other side having successively different color value images of a complementary color family, the images on each area being both registered with the same erforation in the transparent base, and said amilies of images being colored with complementary colors.

17. A doublecoated perforated transparency comprising a plurality of image areas, those on one side having successively different color value images of one family and those on the other side having successively different color value images of a complementary color family, the images on each area being both registered with the same perforation in the transparent base, and sa1d families of images being arranged and colored with complementary colors, so that each two image areas additively render complete .color in projection.

18. A double coated perforated photogra hie transparency having a record on Signed at New York city, in the county of eac side each of said records being regis- New York and State of New York, this 24th tered horlzontally with a certain perioration day of July A. D; 1917.

as a standard, and vertically with a certain WILLI AM V. l). KELLEY. other erforation as a standard, the records Witnesses: on sald sides being colored in different C. A. Born,

colors. HERBERT KLINE. 

